Honest answer? It depends, but typically 3-6 months before you see meaningful results. Anyone promising page one rankings in a few weeks is having you on. SEO is a long-term investment technical fixes might show improvements quickly, but building real authority and sustainable rankings takes time. The good news? Once you're ranking, maintaining it is far easier than getting there in the first place.

SEO is organic you earn your rankings through great content, technical excellence, and authority. Paid ads (PPC) get you to the top immediately, but you're paying for every click. SEO takes longer but keeps delivering traffic long after you've done the work. Most successful businesses use both: ads for immediate results whilst building their organic presence for long-term growth.

Turkeys and Christmas come to mind here it varies wildly. A local business might spend £500-£2,000 per month. Enterprise brands can invest £10,000+ monthly. It depends on your market competitiveness, your goals, and how much work needs doing. Cheaper isn't always better bodged SEO can actually harm your rankings. You're investing in expertise, not just hours.

You can, but should you? Basic SEO optimising titles, writing decent content, fixing obvious technical issues is doable. But competing in tough markets requires serious expertise, tools, and time. If you're a small business owner, your time might be better spent running your business whilst an expert handles the SEO. That said, understanding the basics helps you make smarter decisions.

Technical SEO is everything that helps search engines crawl, understand, and index your site properly. Site speed, mobile optimisation, structured data, XML sitemaps, proper redirects the behind-the-scenes stuff. And yes, you absolutely need it. Brilliant content on a technically broken site is like opening a shop with no front door. Fix the foundations first.

Massively important, but only if it's the right content. Churning out blog posts nobody wants won't help. You need content that answers real search queries, provides genuine value, and aligns with what your audience is actually looking for. Quality over quantity, every time. One excellent piece beats ten mediocre ones.

Yes. Backlinks are still one of Google's strongest ranking signals they're essentially votes of confidence from other websites. But quality matters more than quantity. Ten links from authoritative, relevant sites beat 100 from rubbish directories. Focus on earning genuine links through great content, digital PR, and building real relationships.

Keywords still matter, but not like they used to. Gone are the days of stuffing "best plumber London" into every sentence. Modern SEO is about understanding search intent what people actually want when they search. Use keywords naturally, focus on topics rather than exact phrases, and write for humans first, search engines second.

Look at the metrics that matter: organic traffic trends, rankings for target keywords, conversion rates from organic traffic, and ultimately, revenue. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console show you what's happening. If traffic's growing, rankings are improving, and you're getting more leads or sales, it's working. If not, something needs adjusting.

Could be dozens of reasons: Google algorithm updates, competitors improving their game, technical issues on your site, lost backlinks, or content that's gone stale. Sometimes rankings fluctuate naturally. The key is diagnosing the actual cause rather than panicking. A proper technical audit usually reveals what's gone wrong.

SEO focused on local searches "near me" queries, location-specific terms, Google Business Profile optimisation. Crucial if you're a restaurant, shop, or service business with a physical location. It's about showing up when locals search for what you offer. Different tactics than traditional SEO, but just as important for local businesses.

Not directly social signals aren't a ranking factor. But indirectly? Absolutely. Social media drives traffic, builds brand awareness, and can earn you links when your content gets shared. It's part of the bigger picture, even if it doesn't directly boost rankings.

Depends on your resources and ambitions. Agencies bring experience, tools, and diverse expertise. In-house gives you dedicated focus and deeper brand knowledge. Many businesses start with an agency to build foundations, then bring it in-house as they grow. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.

On-page is everything you control on your website content, titles, meta descriptions, site structure, internal linking. Off-page is everything external backlinks, brand mentions, digital PR. You need both. On-page gets you in the game; off-page helps you win it.

Yes. Every industry has people searching for solutions, products, or services. Some markets are more competitive than others, which affects timelines and investment needed, but SEO works across sectors. I've driven results for fashion, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and more. If people search for it, SEO can work for it.

Your competitors won't. Rankings decay over time if you stop maintaining them. Content goes stale, technical issues creep in, competitors overtake you. Think of SEO like going to the gym you can't work out for six months and expect to stay fit forever. Ongoing effort maintains and improves results.

Ask for case studies with real numbers. Check if they can explain their strategy in plain English. Avoid anyone guaranteeing specific rankings or promising overnight results. Look for transparent communication, proven experience in your industry, and a focus on business outcomes rather than just rankings. And always, always check references.